


Anticipation

by jillyfae



Series: Sweetest of All Sounds [6]
Category: Dragon Age II
Genre: F/M, Family, Friendship, Gen, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-05
Updated: 2013-02-05
Packaged: 2017-11-28 08:12:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/672202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jillyfae/pseuds/jillyfae
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Adapting to noble life, and a matchmaking mother... some fluff in-between Act 1 and 2, inspired by Sebastian fan week on tumblr.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Anticipation

"Why don't you invite that nice Vael fellow over for dinner?" Leandra Hawke gently cupped one blossom, lifting it up to breathe in the fragrance before settling it carefully in the middle of the bouquet she was arranging.

They'd spent a ridiculous amount of money on flowers last year, but now at least half the blossoms came from the garden Leandra and Merrill had started shortly after the Hawkes had reclaimed the Amell estate. In another year, they could probably forego the purchases completely and still satisfy Leandra's desire for fresh bouquets in almost every room.

"Mother," Adelaide Hawke looked up from her book and shook her head, realizing she had no idea what Leandra was plotting. "Why do you want me to invite Sebastian to dinner?"

"He's so polite, dear. Plus Daryn likes him, I can tell, and mabari are excellent judges of character."

"Of course Daryn likes him, Sebastian called him noble and bowed when they were introduced."

"Did he?" Leandra looked up, a smile lighting up her face. "I'm sorry I missed that. See? Polite."

Adelaide sighed, closing her book and setting it aside. She had a sudden sneaking sensation that this was going to take awhile. "Why dinner? We don't really do 'dinner', we just eat together in the kitchen."

"Exactly." Leandra sighed, a lighter echo of her daughter. "We're eligible now, you know. Recognized heirs to the Amell line, wealthy." She paused, eyeing her daughter, gaze travelling up leather boots and armor to hair tied back in a practical ponytail. "Infamous. You should start attending to your social obligations." She paused again, shrugged slightly. "I thought a private dinner with someone you knew would be a nice way to... ease you into the process."

"Social obligations?" Adelaide snorted, though she felt a little guilty for it when she saw her mother wince. "I have friends, mother. They're wonderful people, if a little uncouth, they watch my back in battle, and I trust them implicitly. Why would I want to waste my time with noble fripperies?"

"Because it's expected, because some day you might need their help, or at least their acceptance, and because, believe it or not, sometimes it's fun."

Adelaide almost snorted again, but managed to swallow it and turn it into a cough instead.

Not that she fooled Leandra, judging by the glare aimed in her general direction.

"You liked pretty dresses and dancing lessons just as much as Bethany when you were younger. Don't tell me you've forgotten?"

Adelaide closed her eyes, picturing the time she and Bethany had stolen mother's high-heeled dancing shoes and tried to practice a waltz by themselves, as Father had been busy and Carver had quite emphatically refused to be involved. It hadn't stopped him from sitting on the windowsill laughing and teasing them, however, every time Adelaide forgot she was supposed to be leading and caused one of them to trip over too large shoes. Until Adelaide got tired of it and chucked a shoe at his head.

_Andraste bless them, I miss them so._

"Bethany would be quite disappointed in me, wouldn't she?" Adelaide opened her eyes and smiled slightly at Leandra, whose eyes widened in surprise before she smiled back. "Not enjoying the benefits of our new life at all, am I? I shall need to go shopping for a dress."

"And shoes." Leandra's smile widened. "Shall I send an invitation to Messere Vael for tomorrow, then?"

"But who else should we invite? I remember that much from the etiquette you pounded into our heads. Even numbers of guests. And genders. For the place-settings."

"Oh, I won't be there, I'll just have a tray in my room."

"Mother!" Adelaide's eyes narrowed. "He is Brother Vael, as you well know, and any attempted match-making would be highly inappropriate."

"Those don't look like Chantry robes he's wearing anymore, my dear."

Adelaide's jaw dropped slightly. Her mother sounded like _Isabela_. That was... that was mind-boggling. It might also be hysterical, later, but right now, she was going to go with slightly terrifying. "Um." She swallowed, and started again. "Proper dinner, with proper guests, or I'm not cooperating. Do I make myself clear?"

Leandra clicked her tongue in disappointment. "Yes dear. I'll see if Serah Tethras can make it, then. For all he can out drink your pirate friend when he puts his mind to it, he does have splendid table manners when provoked to use them."

"Varric?" _My mother has opinions on Varric's table manners? When has she seen Varric's table manners? What is going on in my house when I'm not paying attention?_ She ruthlessly ignored the little voice in her head that wanted to comment on how she'd missed this because of how much time she spent at the Chantry, or wandering around Kirkwall, generally with Sebastian in tow. That was encouraging her mother. _Bad plan._ "You want to invite Varric _and_ Sebastian? You do know they don't actually get alo-... I mean, they can't sta-... there is no common ground there, Mother."

"Precisely." Her mother nodded briskly, as if somehow that settled it. "That's how nobles work, dear, no one can stand most of them, even other nobles, but they learn how to be polite about it. It'll be good practice for you."

"Eehh?" Adelaide managed an odd surprised sort of whine to that, unable to think of any words to do that sentence justice.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of everything, you just go find yourself a suitable outfit." Leandra had apparently finished her bouquet, smiling and nodding slightly before raising an eyebrow at her daughter. "Well? Why aren't you moving?"

"Um, right." Adelaide stood up, stepped forward enough to give her mother a farewell kiss on the cheek. "Shopping."

"I'm sure Isabela knows all the best shoe shops, if you're not sure where to start." Leandra patted her daughter gently on the cheek. "Just don't let her pick out your dress, of course."

Adelaide nodded in helpless agreement, and wandered her way out of the house. She paused on the front steps, staring up at the sky, still not entirely sure what had just happened.

 _Right. Shoes? Dresses? Not even going to start with Isabela, I'll somehow find myself in thigh high leather boots and not much else._ That small voice that she tried not to listen to helpfully imagined Sebastian's face if she showed up in nothing but thigh high leather boots. That was a little harder to ignore than usual, but she managed it.

_I don't even know where, or who..._

_Oooh. Lady Elegant. Maybe if I beg prettily enough she'll refrain from laughing too much before helping me out?_

* * *

Elegant had laughed quite a lot. But had also been quite helpful, and rather than making Adelaide figure out shopping, had simply called her dressmaker and her maid and had them drape her with fabric and somehow gloves and shoes and hair combs and a very pretty selection of reticules had miraculously just appeared in front of her. She'd ended up with two dresses, a pair of light-weight boots that had tiny buttons all the way up her ankle, three sets of gloves so she'd have a back-up for after she inevitably spilled wine all over her fingers, and a ludicrous pile of combs. She hadn't a clue that she even liked sparkly or shiny or smooth little things for her hair until she suddenly realized she had enough money to keep them _all_.

So she did.

"Are you sure you're human?" Adelaide collapsed on the chaise, trying hard not to actually impersonate a fainting damsel. It was close though. "Not a Spirit of Perfection here to save me from myself, or something?"

Elegant giggled softly into her cup of tea. "You are delightful, Hawke, and you know I do so adore listening to you sing my praises, but what inspired the sudden shopping spree?"

"My mother reminded me I should pretend I know how to be a respectable grown up and socialize. Don't suppose you'd like to contribute to the taming of a Fereldan and invite me to something small and not too terrifying?"

"Oooh, certainly!" The lovely blonde leaned forward, graceful as always, placing her mug on its saucer on the table beside her with only the slightest tap of ceramic. "Will you bring your handsome Chantry _friend_?"

"Maker's..." Adelaide fell all the way back across the lounge, glaring up at the ceiling. _Bloody bollocks, and I've been spending too much time around Varric and Isabela, I never used to swear this much._ "Really, Elegant? I thought Mother was just being, well, Mother, but you too?"

"Hawke," Elegant's voice was suddenly serious, and Adelaide dragged herself back into a sitting position to pay proper attention. "You're new and fascinating, so of course everyone is gossiping about you. He's familiar, but suddenly equally fascinating, in a _please don't let the massacre of noble families happen to us_ , and _wonder if he's still bound by vows?_ and the penultimate question of whether he should be addressed as Brother or Messere or Your Highness. Plus, when he returns from one of his trips around the Marches he always goes to visit _you_."

"I helped him hunt mercenaries! He's a splendid shot, which makes for good back-up, as we both know I tend to get into trouble, plus we're friends!" She could hear her voice rising, more than the question remotely warranted, and was perfectly well aware as she watched her hands flail through the air that she was over-reacting.

But just because he was gorgeous and had the most delectable voice she'd ever heard didn't mean she was allowed to _consider_ such things because she wasn't, because he was still grieving, his whole family dead, and what was she going to say, _hey there, sorry you couldn't stay in the Chantry, whole killing merc's thing was fun, right? Don't suppose you want to get naked?_

Not that even she was quite that inept, but she knew his faith and his vows were the only things he'd had to hold on to right after his family died, and she had not the heart to take them from him. They were his strength and his guide, as important as breathing, as the beat of his heart.

_Much more important than my silly infatuation._

Adelaide sighed as Elegant just smiled, the slightest curve of her lips and a lift of one pretty eyebrow. "Oh shush, I know, I'm an idiot, but despite my idiot-ness we really are just friends."

"Poor dear." Elegant lifted up her tea cup again, tilting it gently in Adelaide's direction until she figured it out and picked up her own. "To friends, then."

* * *

Adelaide scowled into her mirror, nose wrinkling and eyebrows tight. She couldn't get her hair to stay up. Or, if it did seem secure, there were bumps or wisps or it just didn't look right.

_Bethany used to do such nice things with my hair._

That wasn't helpful. She yanked her pretty new combs out, flipped her head over to shake out the kinks, and sat back up. Now my hair is practically sticking out in five different directions. Splendid. She stuck her tongue out at the mirror, grabbed her brush, and finally settled for picking the two plain silver combs to push in along her temples to keep the hair off her face.

 _I am oh_ so _fancy._

 _But I do have fancy boots._ She stood up, doing a careful spin around her room, grinning as her skirt flared just a little around her legs. _Mother was right, this is fun._

Peering carefully at the clock on her mantle, Adelaide realized their guests had probably already arrived while she'd been scowling at her hair, and she should probably stop hiding in her bedroom. _Well. I'm quite sure everyone already knew I'd be a terrible hostess. Thank the Maker for my mother._ She blew a kiss out the window, thanking Andraste for keeping an eye on her wayward brother, wherever he was, and slid out onto the landing.

And then scurried back into her room to get her gloves.

She made it all the way to the top of the stairs on her second try, and paused to admire the scene her mother had set: extra candles and extra flowers, the scent of something savory for dinner slowly easing its way through the house. Their guests, drinks in hand, voices softly rumbling, her mother smiling at them from her perch on her favorite chair.

Sometimes it hurt, how very much she admired Sebastian, but other times the ache in her heart was gentle, almost pleasant. He was a good man, and easy on the eyes, and sometimes it was more than enough to just enjoy the view.

He looked very nice in fancy dress, a silk doublet she'd never seen, a dark grey that made the red in his hair and the blue in his eyes stand out even more than usual, the firelight flickering across his face as he spoke softly with Varric, both of them wearing smooth polite expressions in deference to her mother.

_My mother is obviously a miracle worker._

But then Varric apparently couldn't _quite_ resist, and rolled his eyes, and spotted her on the stairs. "Lady!" He shouted, putting his glass down and strolling across the room to greet her. "Don't you clean up nice."

"Thank you Varric," Adelaide bowed her head towards the dwarf, smiling as she descended the rest of the stairs. "Such a charmer."

"Pssh," Varric waved a hand at her, "easy pickings, that one. Hey Choir Boy, you're supposed to say something nice when a pretty lady walks in the room, don't you know that?"

"Of course I do," Sebastian said, his voice low and his brogue thick and husky. "I also know better than to interrupt you, Varric."

Adelaide laughed softly at that, breath light and uneven as it escaped her mouth, trying to hide the flutter in her chest as his voice caressed her skin. Her smile was perhaps a little shaky as well, once she met his gaze, his _eyes_ , looking just at her, as if he never needed to see anything or anyone else, ever again.

 _Maker_ , he was even more gorgeous up close, cheekbones and crow's feet and a soft half-smile standing right before her, holding out his hand. She watched her own arm move, feeling slightly dazed at the touch of his fingers, soft underneath her palm, his thumb smoothing a wrinkle across the back of her glove as he lifted her hand, the pressure of his lips warm and soft through the fabric as he kissed the smooth plane of her hand right behind her knuckles.

_Oh._

_I should've let my gloves stay forgotten._

His gaze flickered to her face, the blue of his eyes suddenly dark through his lashes, as if he was thinking the exact same thing, _lips on skin_. "You are positively radiant, Adelaide."

She felt the sound of her name, so seldom used by anyone, even her mother, shiver down the back of her neck, and she forgot how to swallow, her lips slightly parted as if to try and taste the smell of him in the air, incense and wine and silk and skin.

"She certainly is now," Varric laughed, clapping Sebastian on the back. "Where have you been hiding those smooth moves the past few years?"

Sebastian gave her hand a slight squeeze before letting go, head ducking and shoulders shrugging slightly, as if uncomfortable with the attention. Adelaide could feel the warmth across her skin, presumably flushing her cheeks, but she couldn't seem to find a single thing to say, beyond expressing the highly inappropriate desire for him to practice his moves on her anytime he wanted.

Leandra saved the day, however, a gentle laugh and a smooth word as she directed them all to the dining hall for dinner. Adelaide didn't miss the rather smugly pleased expression cross her mother's face as Sebastian offered her his arm as escort, and found she was rather ridiculously pleased herself.

 _Alright mother, you're a genius, and I should listen to you more often._ Even though nothing could ever come of it, this was shaping out to be a lovely evening, and she did quite enjoy Sebastian's company. _And always will._


End file.
